Music-leaf turner.



E. WATKINS MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FlLED APR-.26.i91i- 1,269,349. Patented June 11, 1918.

INVENTOR [my Il/hha BY flaw ATTOR N EY ERNEST WATKINS, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enivns'r WATKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to music leaf turners, and aims primarily to generally simplify and increase the efiiciency of devices of this character.

Further objects reside in providing a holder for the leaves of sheet music, which is capable of being readily applied to pianos or other musical instruments, and which may be easily actuated to quickly turn the leaves.

Still further objects reside in providing a music leaf turner which is featured by the lack of complicated mechanism, which has its various movable parts so constructed and assembled as to minimize the opportunity for wear or breakage, and which will prove thoroughly practical and efiicient in use.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings z- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a music leaf turner constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the improved leaf turner;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the improved leaf turner; and

Fig. 4c is a detail perspective view of the loose leaf supporting element.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 repre sents generally an improved frame which is adapted to be applied to a piano or music stand, and which carries the mechanism for holding and turning the loose leaves. This frame may be constructed of any suitable material, and includes uprights 6, which are connected adjacent their upper and lower ends by transverse members 7. The lower edges of the uprights 6 are beveled as indicated at 8, so as to support the frame in slightly tilted position to properly support the sheet music.

The loose leaf turner comprises a shaft 8,

Patented June 11, 1918.

Serial No. 164,721.

which mounted. in suitable bearings 9 disposed centrally of the transverse members 7, and which are vertically alined. The shaft is bent angularly at its upper end to provide a supporting arm 10, the latter being adapted when the shaft has been rotated to extreme right or left positions to lie against the upper transverse member 7.

Depending from this supporting arm are clasps 11, the latter being adapted to grip the upper edge of the loose music leaf. These clasps may be of any preferred type, and have their base plates securely fastened to the arm 10 while the movable jaws 12 are capable of swinging toward and away from the said plates. The lower end of the shaft is also bent angularly, and provides a grip lever 13, by means of which the shaft may be rotated to right or left positions. It will be observed that the distance between the arms 10 and 13 is greater than the distance between the bearings 9. so that the shaft 8 may slide longitudinally in the said bearings. The lower edges of the sheet music are positioned upon the improved frame rest within the supporting fingers 14, the latter being depressed, as shown, to receive the said lower edges.

In operation, the frame is positioned upon the piano or other instrument, and the sheet music is placed upon the same with its lower edges resting in the fingers 14. The middle or loose leaf of the music is engaged at its upper edge by the clasps 11, and the shaft rotated so that the leaf will be held in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When it is desired to turn the middle leaf to disclose the music upon the rear face thereof, it is but necessary to grasp the handle 13 with the hand, apply upward pressure upon the same to disengage the lower edges of the sheet from the depressed portions of the fingers 14, and then swing the said. handle toward the left side of the frame. The loose leaf will be carried over and properly positioned against the inner face of the front sheet, and when the grip arm 13 has been released and the shaft has moved downwardly to normal position, the said loose leaf will be held smoothly and in proper position.

While the present is a disclosure of what is believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes in the minor details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is In a device of the class described, a rectangular frame including vertical and transverse members, a plurality of outwardly and upwardly projecting fingers in spaced relation and in horizontal alinement upon the lower transverse members of said frame, the said fingers being provided with de pressed portions to receive and support the lower edges of music sheets, bearings on said transverse members intermediate the ends thereof arranged in vertical alinement, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings Copies of this patent may be obtained for ree s i9 for sliding vertically therein, the upper end of said shaft being disposed at right angles, clamps on said angularly bent portion adapted to hold the upper edge of a music sheet, the lower end of said shaft being disposed at an angle to provide an operating arm, and the distance between the said upper and lower angularly bent portions being greater than the distance between said bearings.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signa ture in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST WATKINS.

Witnesses FRANK KIMMEL, JOHN B. HUDSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

